Dennis Seidenberg: 'I could probably play right now'

Wednesday

May 7, 2014 at 6:26 PMMay 7, 2014 at 6:58 PM

Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg provided the best indication that there is actually a chance the veteran could play in the Stanley Cup playoffs, telling the Boston Globe on Tuesday night that he could “probably play right now.”

By Dan CagenDaily News staff

Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg provided the best indication that there is actually a chance the veteran could play in the Stanley Cup playoffs, telling the Boston Globe on Tuesday night that he could “probably play right now.”

“I’m feeling better,” he told the Globe.

Seidenberg tore his ACL and MCL in his right knee Dec. 27 and underwent surgery Jan. 7, exactly four months ago. A 6-8 month timetable was announced for Seidenberg’s recovery, but the workhorse defenseman is ahead of schedule and the team has yet to concretely say that their No. 2 defenseman will be unavailable for the entirety of the postseason.

Seidenberg began skating April 9 and has been skating with teammates and taking part in non-contact drills for over a week. Taking contact and bumping against the knee will be the next step for Seidenberg, and he told the Globe he will not play until doctors have said he is medically cleared to do so.

General manager Peter Chiarelli declined to provide an update when asked about Seidenberg’s status Wednesday between Games 3 and 4 of their second-round series with Montreal, which the Canadiens lead 2-1.

“I’m not going to comment on that,” Chiarelli said. “I haven’t last series, this series.”

The comments from Seidenberg come at a time the Bruins’ defense have struggled to fill the left-hand role on the second pairing that Seidenberg had filled before his injury. Matt Bartkowski has been out the last two games since struggling in Game 1, and Andrej Meszaros and Johnny Boychuk allowed Dale Weise to sneak behind them for a backbreaking goal in Tuesday’s Game 3 loss.

It wouldn’t be a surprise either way if Bartkowski or Meszaros are in for Game 4.

“That’s a lineup decision,” Chiarelli told reporters in a rare mid-series media scrum for a general manager. “These guys have been good for us. Bart has been good for us. He had to come in when Seidenberg got hurt. And he had to find his game and he had to fit in, and he’s done that. He got sick and he got out of sync a little bit. Mez, we acquired Mez in a trade. I didn’t mind his game last night. I know there’s … I think everyone can make a mistake here or there. He made a good play on the goal [by Jarome Iginla in Game 3]. So my confidence level is really irrelevant.”